A Stranger By The Sea
by RanDom Roseee
Summary: Maybe an OCC. Logan says goodbye. Rory leaves her old life. four years later. she has just moved to the Jersey Shores, under the alias Savannah Lane. She meets a familiar man that she isn't quite sure of. Story is better than the summary LOL
1. Loss

A/N: here is my new story. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapte One: Loss**

Rory look as the man of her dream stand before her, his usual smile, now a straight line on his face. His usual glimmering eyes that use to shine just for her, was now glazed over with disappointment. She wished that there was some way she could get him to calm down and accept that she just wasn't quite ready to settle down in her dream life with Logan just yet.

She felt that her future was not yet set in stone, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she was finally able to breath. No constricting rules to govern her every move any more. Just pure bliss, and it felt very refreshing. She had never had the pleasure of just being able to stop and smell the roses.

She watched as Logan shook his head in disappointment; put his hands in his beautifully tailored blue suit, which made his eyes seem even more impossibly blue that it already was. She had to admit, saying no to his beautiful face, and watching it drop like she had never seen it do before, felt like a boulder had just been rolled right over the top of her.

Two words escaped his lips, "goodbye Rory" and with that he walked out of her life forever. Like the last three years had meant nothing to him. She looked on till he no longer was the vision that she felt so drawn to like a magnet since the moment she had met him. His empty presence like a cold shaft of wind, bellowing an unheard sound like a hymn.

"Goodbye Logan" she whispered softly and headed for where she had seen her family hovering over last, and put the most magnificent smile on her face.

She was going to be fine. Right?

++++ AFTER GRADUATION ++++

Her mother was the first to see her, and waved proudly to her daughter. She waved back, feeling absolutely nothing. A cold brush of wind threw her forward, not seeming to notice, her mother rushed forward, catching her, and snapping her out of her daze.

"Rory what's the matter with you? Are you feeling sick?" her mother panic, looking her over to see if there was a change in her.

"The wind almost blew me over" she explained to her mother, but her mother just nodded, sensing that there was something terribly wrong with her daughter, and it was not the _**sick**_ kind of terrible either. She knew she didn't need to press her daughter in such subjects; it would fly out of her mouth when it was the right time.

"Come on honey, everyone is waiting for us" she guided her daughter towards the rest of the family.

"Rory, I am so proud of you honey" her father gushed at her, hugging her tight.

"It went so fast, I didn't even have time to blink my eyes" her grandmother commented, kissing her granddaughter on the cheek proudly.

"My, my. My only granddaughter graduating from Yale" her grandfather said with such pride in his voice.

She nodded her head with all the comments that they had thrown at her, but she still felt like emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

++++ THE NEXT DAY LATER ++++

"So how does it feeling being an alumni of one of the most prestigious colleges in America?" Lane asked her best friend.

"Logan broke up with me" she blurted out to her.

"I was _**not**_ expecting you to say that one" Lane said in shock, bringing Rory in for a cuddle.

"Neither did I…" she said without any emotion in her voice.

"Does Lorelai know?" she pulled back to look at her best friend in the eye.

Rory shook her head sadly, not wanting to admit the truth to her mother.

"Well don't you think she should know this before you leave?" Lane reasoned with her.

Rory shook her head again, not wanting to hear or feel the wrath of her mother.

"Okay so this is a nodding and shaking question time?"

Rory nodded again, not wanting to say a word.

"So did Logan tell you this after you graduated?" Lane asked again.

She shook her head this time, breaking the trance she was in.

"God Lane! Am I just meant to move on with my life like the last three years didn't exist?" she fumed at the top of her lungs, standing up and jumping up and down with all the frustrations she had been feeling for the past few days.

Lane just watched her have her wave of tantrum and ranting. Knowing she needed to let off all the emotions and steam that she had been holding inside her for the past couple of days.

"A whole lot of crazy. Sorry Lane" she apologized sadly, looking over at her friend.

"It's okay Ror' you had to let it all out" Lane soothed her friend sadly, hating that she was hurting.

++++ THAT NIGHT ++++

"Hey kiddo. I am sooo hungry I can eat a whole lota melons. Lemons, watermelons, melon dews, melons, melons, melons…" her mother said to her daughter, closing the door behind her. "Ror' you home? Making me feel rather stupid, not replying you know" she said in an even tone, trying not to laugh at her own silliness.

"Ror' honey, fruit of my loins, your darling, beautiful and very hungry mother is home! Heeelllooo" she called out again.

Three messages; she pressed the answering machine button. A piece of paper lay neatly next to it.

"How about we get take out from every place we know? What do you say?" she called out to the empty house, while she unfolded the single piece of white paper.

'Mom gone for a drive. Be back in a couple of days' the note read in neat written letters by her daughter in question.

She heard her mother begin to talk, and she pressed the erase button, she knew her mother would ring her back till she received what she needed from her. Next was a message from her dad, speaking about the previous message from her mother. Delete. She shook her head at her parents. The third was yet another message from her, speaking about her first message and her father's message. Delete.

She grabbed her mobile phone from her bag to check her messages, none from her daughter, very odd indeed.


	2. A New Life

A/N: thank you to all that had read, reviewed, PM'd , alerted and added this to their favourites! Really love and appreciate it! You make writing even more fun that it already is! Hope you like the next chapter! Cheers! Rose XXX

For: Summer2391 [up by request] :)

Disclaimer for this story and the first chapter of this story: I own Nothing!

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><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapte Two: A New Life**

++++ FOUR YEARS LATER ++++

Rory had seen an ad on television about 'the Jersey Shores [being] the best place to be'. So she handed in her noticed and drove there off the bat, buying a map at the service station, so she could figure out how to get there.

It had taken her three days to drive to this beach, but she didn't care. She had slept in her car at each rest stop and began driving again when she had awoken. She had the need to escape everything that reminded her of her old life. Even if it meant escaping everything that she knew and loved. Even her own mother

She sat on the beach, watching the water lap the sea. The birds flocking above her, in search of whatever they could see from that distance, to swoop at, before its fellow comrades could get to it first. Birds were very clever, not as dumb as people actually thought.

She lay down under the umbrella that someone had offered her an hour ago, paying more than it was actually worth, at least it would keep her from getting burnt under the strong hot burning sun. She burned easy, skin that she had inherited from her grandmother, which she hated like hell.

She watched as the people around her went on with their lives, moving on from each activity like nothing else in the world matter. She loved that lifestyle very much indeed.

"Hey lovely lady, want me to rub some sun tan lotion on your back" a gentlemen that looked very familiar asked her politely. She shook her head, wanting to be left alone.

"Well I am only offering because I need it done to my back as well" he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck like a caught teenager.

She smiled at him, trying to supress a laugh.

"Sure, if needed be" she replied, getting up and kneeling on his towel, he lay on his stomach so she could get a better view and apply the sun tan easier.

"God you should really have put these hours ago" she looked at his red neck and back, he nodded and turned his head to smile grimly at her.

"What you need is to get out of the sun and buy yourself some cooling cream so it will lessen the peeling and scaring" she knew all about that, having down a minor article by request at Yale.

"Think so?" he asked her, sitting up in agony that he tried to hide. His zinc cover face and hate making it impossible to really see what he looked like. Though his eyes reminded her of someone, she just couldn't put her mind to who it could be.

"Hey brat-attack!" a ball was flung at him, and he winced in agony.

"Wow duded! Your back is toast!" his friend said in amusement, then noticed Rory sitting next to him. "Well hell-o there"

"Hey" she stood up and walked back to her blanket, tossing the sunscreen at the other man, before turning her attention back to the other people on the beach

++++ MYSTERY MEN ++++

"Way to go dude!" the man scowled his friend, his friend shrugged his shoulders, not understanding what he had done so horribly wrong.

He watched as his friend looked over at the brunette, and followed his gaze.

"Dude, sorry… next time touch your snog or something" he said with a laugh.

The man shook his head, and stood up and began to pack his belongings, heading off the beach towards his apartment, his friend at his heels.

"So… did you get her number dude?" he asked the other man with a grin.

"Even better, she almost came with me to the chemist to buy cooling cream for my back!" he said to his friend, hating that his friend ruined a perfectly sound conversation.

"Then why are we leaving then?" he asked with a laugh, "she was one fine fox! Man if you don't want her attentions, I'll go back after her" he began to turn back to the direction of the beach, before the other man grabbed his arm to stop him.

"I call dibs" he smirked and turned to walk towards his apartment once again. He heard his friends bellowing laughter and walked to the chemist for the cooling cream, which was across the street from his apartment.

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><p>Rory was glad that she had come to Jersey Shore. She knew that she was going to love this place, she just wasn't sure how long she was going to be staying here. She watched the beach full of excitement, knowing that she had to find a place to live first, then find a job tomorrow then she would be set<p>

Just like her other 'lives', she had lived a great life with them all, making friends where ever she went, feeling a kind of 'normalcy' for a while, and when someone had come too close to her or started to want a life with her, she drew away, and left straight after.

She knew that she had a problem, but she wasn't ready to face it just yet. She was fine with the way she was living her life. She was content to live for the moment and see where it left her.

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><p>"Hey Margarita" Tristan and Marc greeted the older woman.<p>

Margarita walked towards the two men, kissed them on the cheek and gave them a cuddle.

"Hey boys, what can I do for you today"

"I'm just here to say hello" Marc said with a cheeky grin.

"Back's burnt again" he smiled sheepishly, turning around to show her the results of his words.

"Tristan" she said with a laugh, still amused that he has been doing this since he was sixteen years old, a runaway from his past.

He shrugged and grinned at her even wider, while they watched her walk over to the isle that contained the soothing creams.

"I know you know how to handles these" she said with a laugh, throwing him first the cooling cream, and then a sun screen.

"Thanks so much Margarita!" he grinned over at her, and came and gave her a big hug.

She had been looking out for him since he had first arrived at sixteen. Helped him get situated and gave him his first job.

"No worries boys! See you down at the beach later?" she said with a smile. She watched the boys wave goodbye and walk towards their apartment.

Not that she surfed any more or even touched the water; she loved to reminisce about the olden times when things were perfect.

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><p>Rory's knew apartment was right on the beach and was situated perfectly to come and go whenever she wanted. Everything was going as planned, so she was so excited to begin her new life as a Jersey Shore girl. She would set her sights on landing any job she could get and do it to the best of her abilities!<p>

"Jersey Shore here I come_"_ she said to herself, looking out at the water.


	3. Savannah Lane

A/N: Hope you guys like it!

**A Stranger By The Sea**

**Chapte Three: Savannah Lane**

++++ A FEW DAYS LATER ++++

"So you need a job, but you have no id, license or place of habitat?" the lady asked Rory questioningly, not believing a word of what she said.

_Rory had made a habit of changing her name with each place she had travelled to. In Chicago she was Annette Savings, Seattle- Sandra Pain, Maine- Jayne Marie Alexander, Georgia- Tina Angles, Texas- Wednesday Freeman and lastly Kansas- Yvette Phillips._

"I acquired a place yesterday actually…" she smiled her sweetest smile at the woman, who just nodded her head, pretending that she believed the young girl.

"Okay. I give you two weeks, and if you don't do a good job, then you are out okay? One chance only, and then you are out okay?" feeling bad for the girl, knowing that something bad must have happened for her to be turning up without anything.

Rory nodded her head and shook the ladies hand.

"What's your name again honey?" the lady began to give all the things that Rory would need to be part of the staff in the chemist. A temporary pin that said 'in training', a navy vest, jumper and free hand sanitiser pump {which she had to admit, she had no idea why the lady had given her the clear liquid}.

"Savannah Lane" she answered the lady with a smiling, wondering if she would believe it. She had lived in Savannah and loved it very much, but it reminded her way too much of what her life had been like in Hartford.

"Thank you so much for giving me this chance Margarita!" Rory gushed at her, about to hug the older woman to her, which the woman back away.

"Sorry Savannah, I don't like personal contact with people" she reason with her, and Rory now knew why she had been given the hand sanitiser.

++++ THE NEXT DAY ++++

"So glad that you are early Savannah, the last girl, Lucinda, was al-way-s l-a-te" Carranda Shuemarker said with a smirk, opening the door with her abundance of keys Rory had no idea how she even managed to figure out which one was the right key.

"I always had to carry the load, and luckily Marge saw what she was really like. Nothing worse that working your ass off, and having to watch someone slack off as well" she shook her head and closed the door behind them.

"Oh you won't have to worry about me Carranda. I am very efficient and work really well with others and on my own"

"We'll see about that" she said in a disbelieving tone, looking Rory over and thinking that she looked like she would run at the sign of trouble. "Call me Carrie"

Rory let her comment slide, knowing what kind of person she was. No one had to tell her that, her self-assurance and confidence, a sure proof of her capabilities in the past.

"So first, we have to make sure everything is organised around here; dusting, vacuuming, and making sure everything is neat and tidy. At twenty-to-nine, I will leave you on your own for ten-to-fifteen minutes, while I go to the bank and get some change. You do your best to serve the people you can. I'll take out some petty-cash and put it in the till. I am assuming you already know how to work the cash registers?" Carrie asked her, she nodded her head.

Satisfied with the answer, she went to the storm room and retrieved the small amount of petty cash, then opening the till to lay the money down in it.

Carried dusted, while Rory vacuumed the whole place, then they both went to either side of the store and began to make sure everything was in order.

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><p>At twenty-to-nine, she watched Carried walk out of the store without a single word, both already knowing their duties to be done. She walked up to the cash register, trying to figure it out, with no avail.<p>

She frowned as she heard the door open and closed. The first customer had arrived, and she still had no clue on how to use it.

She looked up at to see the man from the beach with the back problem.

"Hey, I didn't know you worked here?"

"Yup! The _**new**_ girl. Hired yesterday, and standing before you" she said with amusement.

"I see, I see. So I'm guessing this is your first time using one of those?" he said with a laugh, pointing to the register.

"Guilty as charged" she shrugged, "how did you know?"

"I have _surveillance_ here" he said in a serious tone, pointing to the camera behind her.

"You serious?"

"Ah… nnnot reeeealllly" he said with a laugh. And she poked her tongue at him in response to him teasing her.

"I saw you playing with it for the past twenty minutes" he said with a laugh.

"You watched me like some creepy old guy?" she pretended to shiver, shaking her head with disgust.

"Oh… nah… man… course not…" he stuttered, and watched her break into a laugh, showing him that she had been making fun of him the entire time.

"Ha-ha! You got me!" he said laughing as well. "So I have some experience with these things. Want me to show you?"

"Yes please… lucky it was YOU that came into the shop first or I would have been screwed" she said with a laugh.

"Okay scootch over" he said, pushing her hands gently out of the way.


	4. Trippe

BTW: in my own little world of ' A Stranger By The Sea' I am making 'Jersey Shores' a town, and also part of the Jersery Shore line. =D

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

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><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapte Four: Trippe**

"So you _met_ the famous _Trippe_?" Carrie looked like she was a bit annoyed with her. "Tell me everything that he had said!" she demanded of her.

"Wow! _**The famous surfer I keep hearing a whole lot about**_? That was him?" she asked the girl, stunned that he had just helped her with all that, like he had worked there before.

"Ah… yeah!" she looked at her shocked, wondering where she had been all this time. "By the way; I call dibs!" Carrie said quickly. She pretended to claimed him, but she knew she had no chance in hell with him. Jealousy dropping off her in waves.

"Yeah, yeah whatever!" Rory dismissed, hiding the shock that she felt inside from the besotted girl, not wanting to be on her bad side.

"Tell me everything you talked about!" she said with in a bord tone, hiding the utter excitement in her voice.

_Carrie had secretly told the previous girl the wrong way to do things, when she realised that Trippe had been interested in the other girl and not her._

"He just asked for more cooling cream for his back and he was in and out in a second" she lied to the other girl. Trippe had in fact taught her how to use the register for the past twenty minutes. They had never exchanged names either, so he didn't know who she was did he? She questioned now.

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><p>"I saw that girl again from the beach" Trippe told his friend, jumping the veranda wall easily.<p>

"Ah did you get her number this time?" Marcus Canterbury asked his friend with a smile.

Trippe's face showed no emotion, while he tossed the cream at his friend to put on his back.

"And by the look on your face, I'd say that was a hell-NO" he cackled with laughter, his friend had never had trouble with women before, not until now that is.

Marc began to apply the cream to Trippe's back, while he listened to his friend recount the meeting with the girl that he had feelings for, for the first time in his life. He felt drawn to this girl, like he had met her before somewhere.

"I have this feeling that I know her from somewhere, but I just can't put my finger to it…"

"Well you did see her on the beach the other day" he said with a laugh, Trippe gave him a look that said 'really dude?', that made Marc laugh even harder at his blond friend.

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><p>Rory had the most fun she had had in a long time. She never knew working in a chemist would be so much fun. Meeting knew people who were so warm and fuzzy off the bat before they even knew who she really was. Everyone welcomed her to Jersey Shore with open arms, glad that it wasn't going to be an awkward phase she would have to go through.<p>

"Hello you're knew in town?" a lovely blond asked her with a smile.

"Yes I am. Savannah Lane" she introduced herself.

"Safari Angelo. Nice to meet you Savvy" her smile seemed a permanent thing that was situated on her face, she held out her hand for her to shake.

"Clockwise Saf" she shook the hand that was offered to her.

"Everyone calls me Angel" she said with a laugh, shaking her head to the nickname Savannah assumed it must have been. "Think we can be great friends Savvy" she assumed.

"Thanks for saying that Angel" she said to the other woman.

"We're all congregating at one of the houses tonight. Come by and I'll introduce you to everyone" she said with a smile.

"Which house?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not so sure" she said with an amused laugh, shrugging her shoulders. "_**You** **will** **know****, which house**_" she said with such confidence in her voice. "Catch you later Savvy" and with that she waved and walked out of the store before she could respond, just assuming the answer was a 'yes'.

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><p>"What did she want?" Carrie asked with a scowl, having a real problem with the blond woman.<p>

"She just came to say hello" Savannah said with a shrug, and began to walk to the back of the shop, noticing that some of the shelves were starting to empty. "And invited me to a house party down the beach later on…" she said with another shrug, like it had no such conviction to it.

"One piece of advice. Don't get mixed up with the wrong crowd" she said, giving it away that she was never invited to these kind of parties, secretly hoping that she would get invited to the party as well. "You don't want to be seen and judge so quickly"

"Oh thanks for the heads up, but I think I can handle myself" she said with pride and confidence.

"Yeah I bet you can" she didn't deny. "So where is the party?" she asked curiously, obviously wanting her to ask if she would come as well.

"To be honest I'm not really sure" she said with a laugh, shrugging her shoulders.

"Then how do you know where to go? Is Blondie coming back later to pick you up?" she asked with surprise.

"Nope" she laughed again with amusement, "I have to find the house with the loudest music" she cackled with laughter.

"I see" Carrie laughed with her.

"Wana come with me?" she asked the woman, knowing that was the reason she was still lurking next to her.

"Maybe" she said being difficult, "Have to check my diary" she already knew she had nothing planned, she hardly had opportunities like this happen to her. She knew Savannah would be the key to getting her foot into the door.

She watched Carrie walked away and back into the shop.

Savannah shrugged her shoulders and began to fill a box with products that she had noticed needed refilling from the shelves.


	5. I Know Her Name

A/N: thank you all for reading, reviewing, PMing, alerts and Favourites! So great and fantastic to see! Did I mention that it makes me want to write even more than I already do? Totally love love loving writing this story! Hope you all like it! Cheers! Rose XX

BTW: sorry about the spelling mistakes lol I swear I edited it, but I sometimes read it the way it is in my mind and don't notice that I spelt it or missed a word lol ah wells. Guess you don't mind as much as I do! XX

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapter Five: I Know Her Name  
><strong>

The last customer had left for the day; Rory turned the sign with a smile- to close, excited for the party that she would be attending to tonight. Carrie was counting the money in the till, that she would have to recount right after, and sign off together the same amount and put in into petty cash, until Margarita could bring it to the bank the next day.

"So I've decided to come with you tonight, since you are new in town and all" Carrie tried to make it sound like she was not so fussed about the party that she had never been invited to since she was young.

"Yeah cool" Rory smiled at the girl with hidden amusement.

"So where do you live?" Carrie asked her as they closed the shop door behind them

"The apartments down the beach. How about you?" they walked towards the parking lot.

"Twenty minutes away" she said with a frown, not being able to afford anything on her own around Jersey Shore. "I hate how busy this place has become. I prefer the more quiet places" she reasoned with her.

"Oh okay, that's cool" she nodded. "So where did you want to meet?" she asked as they stopped next to a beat up car.

"At your place since it's closer"

"Okay sounds good"

"Which apartments do you live at?" she asked, knowing that it would have to be one of the expensive beat up ones that you hear about on the news all the time.

"The Sunrise. Number four" she shrugged at her, like it was no big deal.

Carrie tried to hide her reaction to her living at the very expensive two story apartment that only had four occupants. She assumed that it must have been a fluke or something similar to that. She didn't believe that _**she**_ would be able to afford such a place on her own, not in a million years.

"Okay. See you there at eight?" she said with a smile and got into her car, and waved goodbye.

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><p>Angel jumped onto Marc's veranda with a soft thud, like she had done many times before. They had known each other long enough, that it was an expected thing for her to do. It had become an inside joke if she even knew where the front door was.<p>

"Hey Angel" Marc said with a smile to his old friend, pulling out a seat for her.

"What's going on?" Trippe came out with two bottles of beer, and handing one over to Marc and taking a sip at the other.

"Where's mine?" she said with a laugh, sitting down at the chair Trippe usually sat at.

"You know where the fridge is" Marc simple said, taking a drink of his one.

"You're in my seat" Trippe said with a smile, she grinned back, getting more comfortable.

"Yup. No beer not movin!" she closed her eyes, and put her foot on the table, getting ready to relax.

"Huh, okay" Trippe said, picking her up and moving her to the next chair.

"Hey!" she said with a protest, knowing that Trippe would usually half his beer with her anyway. Both boys would. They were like the three musketeers.

"So party at Sam's house" she told the men, and took a drink out of the bottle Trippe had given her.

"That's the plan" Marc stated to her, as she began to tell them about the _**new**_ girl who worked at the Margarita's.

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><p>Rory opened her closet and put on the first thing she saw. She didn't have to go through all her clothes, she already knew what looked good and for which occasion she could wear all her things too. She loved her self-assurance, something that had become stronger throughout the four years she had been out on her own travelling.<p>

She dressed herself nicely in a purple and gold/yellow dress that sat a quarter up off her knee, golden pumps and headed to her vanity table to put her make up on. Carrie would be there in thirty minutes, so she knew she had ample of time to get herself ready and wait for her arrival.

She hoped that the house Angel had been taking about was prominent and boisterous that she didn't have to make such an effort to find it.

"Time to live and let life" she said to her empty room, looking out past her vanity table, the moonlit night, making the water down below look like it was shimmering.

"It's a beautiful night, and we're looking for something dumb to do~ who cares baby! I think I wana marry you" she sang into the night sky, standing up and dancing to an imaginary tune, still singing along.

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><p>"So…" Angel smiled over at Trippe, who gave her a raised eyebrow, wondering what concoctions were brewing in that little head of hers. He knew her long enough, to know when there was something on her mind she wanted to ask him.<p>

"Okay Ange. Spit it out!" she looked at him amused, "Let it roll right outta your mouth, down that silvery tongue of yours" he counselled her like he was talking to a little child.

"Markie had told me some rather interesting news…" she let it roll out, just like he had suggested she do. "Something about a blue eyed beauty you met on the beach today, and again at the chemist. He said you had no balls to even ask her name or even get a number" she said with amusement of the player 'I can surf' king. "Birdie told me you lost your balls and all that. Acting like a wean" she cackled with a laugh

"Yeah the bastard does have a big mouth on his white ass!" he said with a laugh, bringing her to join in the laugh.

"Lookie… I _**know**_ her name!" she cackled with laughter, "And I don't think I wana share it with you!" she laughed even harder, with amusement.

"Nah let him suffer Angie!" Marc called from the other room, booming with the same laughter that now came even louder out of Angel.

"Sorry Trippe! You make this sooo easy for us!" her face was getting sore from all the hard laughter

"You guys! Get outta my room Angel. I need to have a shower and get ready" he pushed her laughing body out of the door, still hearing the pair laughing so hard at him.


	6. On Our Way

A/N: thanks for all the alerts and favourites! Really appreciate it! Loving it really! Cheers! Rose XXX

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapter Six: On Our Way**

"Did you find the place alright?" Rory asked Carrie, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah no trouble at her" Carrie agreed, she had always wanted to see what it was like at a place like this one.

"Make yourself at home Carrie. I just forgot my lipstick on my vanity table upstairs. Their some wine or light beer in the fridge if you feel like it. Or juice, Evian. You decide. I am stocked with the lot" she ran up the stairs, after kicking off her golden one thousand dollar Louise Vuitton heel's to the bottom of the stairs.

'Wow Louise Vuitton!' she thought with jealousy, eyeing the place, with utter and complete jealousy and envy of the woman she had thought was as poor as her. She realised that this particular woman had many hidden secrets, which she _**just**_ had to uncover.

She walked around the lounge room and agreed that this woman was definitely a rich woman running away from something or someone. She wondered if Savannah Lane was her name at all, she couldn't remember anyone famous Lane's making news recently.

"Sorry about that Carrie" she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and watched as the woman in question carefully put her shoes back on.

"It's okay, I feel so out of place here" she said before she could stop herself from saying exactly how she felt.

"Don't be silly Carrie. Why do you feel that way?"

"Look at you. In your thousand dollars Louis Vuitton shoes and bag! Vera Wang dress! Versace perfume! Jewellery by someone equally famous!" she said in a huff, looking down at her cheap clothes.

"It's not what we wear or where we live that defines us Carrie, it's what inside us that counts"

"Says the woman who is wearing, said clothes" she said grimly

"Well come on" she pulled Carried up the stairs, who had to follow or risk falling flat on her face.

"Where you talking me?" she followed up the stairs.

"Time for a makeover!" Rory said with a laugh and pulled the woman to her bedroom.

* * *

><p>The three friends had ended up playing the PlayStation three because while Trippe had been getting showered and changed, the other two had sat around making fun of Trippe's situation decided to verse each other on a game, and when he had come back out, he had joined in as well.<p>

"Oh did I mention that _**She**_ was going to this party tonight?" Angel said carelessly, like the thought hadn't been going through her mind for the past hour or so.

"And you tell me this now?" Trippe jumped up, and turned the game off from the main switch, causing the other two to huff and gruff with complaint.

"Hey that was the best level I have ever reached!" Marc said with all honest, his face mirroring his words

"Yeah dude! What the hell?" Angel said with a laugh, and threw a pillow at Trippe.

"Oh come on you have been yanking my chains all afternoon and this evening! You played me well!" he told them with a shake to the head.

"So parteee at Sam's?" Marc laughed at his friend, who just glared at him, and headed to his room to retrieve his bag and fix himself up again.

"Do take your time old chap. We aren't in any hurry!" Angel put on an old English accent, which brought on a slam of a door in response to her prompt.

The two friends laughed with amusement at how whipped their best friend was.

"_**YOU**_ MY, HAVE BEEN WHIPPED, AND WHIPPED REAL GOOD!" Marc yelled at him through the door.

"Okay let's go!" Trippe pushed his door open and headed towards the door.

"And this Miss Angelo is the front door" Marc said with a laugh, which brought on laughter from Trippe as well. No matter how angry he was, _**that**_ joke could _**always**_ make him laugh really loudly.

"Shuddap!" Angel replied a few seconds later, bringing the men to cackle even louder.

* * *

><p>Rory had dressed Carrie with an off shoulder Charlie brown dress, Versace shoes, and Louis Vuitton clutch. Her hair and makeup redone, and made her look like a completely different person. They looked ready to go to a night out to a restaurant, rather than a beach house party.<p>

"You sure you don't want to do something else?" Rory asked her, loving the way they were both dressed very nicely. "We're just wasting it away with a beach party like this!"

"I know! I have never worn such clothes before! I mean I have tried it, but I have never been able to afford such prices" she said with embarrassment, looking over longingly back at Rory's closet full of designer wear.

"Well you can keep what you are wearing" Rory said with a shrug, not really going to miss the clothes, shoe and bag that she was holding in her hand.

Just another accessory that Logan had managed to send her when he had found where she was.

Material things never mattered to her, but she had to admit to herself that she did like to dress nice.

"Okay let's do this!" Carrie grin at her, a tear rolled down her cheek at Rory's kindness. "You sure about this?" she asked her, knowing that she would be crazy to let her have such expensive gifts.

"Yeah I am good thanks" they walked down the stairs and back to the living room.

"You ready to go Carrie?" she made sure the woman was comfortable with what she had on.

"As ready as I'll ever be" she said with a bright smile, which was enough of a good ahead for Rory to open the door and walk out of the house.

They took off their shoes, when their feet touched the sand. Not wanting their heels to constantly get stuck to the ground, and looked for the house that looked most alive.


	7. Introductions

A/N: thanks for all the alerts and favourites! Really appreciate it! Loving it really! Cheers! Rose XXX

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

><p><strong>A Stranger By The Sea<strong>

**Chapter Seven: Introdcutions**

James watched his best friend walk up and down the balcony, all revved up over their child hood friend, and her ex-boyfriend that she was still madly in love with attending this party tonight. He rarely came to any of these parties any more, being such a KJ recently.

"Wow someone is catty tonight!" James Kane snickered with laughter at his childhood friend. He already knew the exact reason she was behaving like this, but just liked to yank his girls chain with amusement.

"I seriously suggest you shud da Fug up Kane" she glared at him, which made his laughter even more intense. He knew her like the back of his hand.

"Oh come on Ci-a, you are even more beautiful when you get cranky like this when Rip comes to a party" he cackled with such laughter, he always wondered why she was so in _**love**_ with Rip when he was equally talented and just as good looking as he was. Rip always showed no interest ever since he broke up with her six months ago and showed off like you wouldn't believe. Okay he showed off like crazy, but hey who is talking about him right? He thought to himself.

He watched as a beautiful brown haired girl dressed in her finest clothes, whom obviously had just moved to Jersey Shores from bean town. And was that Carrie looking as hot as he had ever seen her looking standing right next to her? He was knocked off his socks at the look of her.

* * *

><p>"OMG look at those fancies coming this way!" Ciara cracked up with laughter. "You have got to take a look at this!" she cackled with laughter, her bad mood flying right out the window.<p>

Kane stood their looking in awe, when Ciara hit him playfully and shocked him out of his thoughts.

"Oh come on Kane! You can't possibly be into those two!" she scoffed at him, looking down at the pretties down below.

"Hey a guy likes to look at these kinda things once in a while you know? I think it's kinda hot and sexy hot!" he grinned at her, which she raised her eyebrows in dis-belief.

"What?" he laughed at her with amusement, wondering if there was any hint of jealousy going on with her?

He looked in the other direction, and saw the man in question and his two followers right beside him walking towards the house as well, but kept it to himself. Ciara would soon enough being seeing him as well.

* * *

><p>Trippe and his friends were walking up the beach in the opposite direction as Rory and Carrie, arriving at exactly the same time, and noticing her from afar, knowing the way she walked and moved.<p>

His heart skipped a beat as they drew closer, wondering if she saw him too?

"You have not been listening to a word I have said!" Angel complained at him, trying to knock him out of his thoughts, already knowing who was lurking in there.

"Googie eyed for the mystery girl Trippie?" Marc stated with a laugh

Trippe looked at his friend with amusement, grinning, not being able to wait to see the girl that was unintentionally walking towards them.

* * *

><p>"That must be the house" Rory said to Carrie, who was looking very nervous next to her and feeling way overly dressed in the fancy clothes.<p>

"Yes I think so" Carrie concurred with her, wishing she just came in her plain clothes. She was self-conscious of the snickers that may hover around the party about them.

"Relax Carrie! I can feel your nervousness bouncing right out of you! Please just relax. It's just a party. It's not like it's out first _**ever**_ party is it?" she tried to sooth her friend.

Carrie didn't want to admit that it _**was**_ her very first party she was invited to, that didn't involve one of her family members. "Yeah I guess not" she lied to her, and looked away in embarrassment, hating to lie to her obvious honest companion. But what was a white lie right?

* * *

><p>"Hey Savvy" Angel was the first to greet the two ladies.<p>

Rory and Carrie looked up at the three people in from of them. Rory gave her a cuddle, excited to see her new friend.

"Hey Angel! This is Carrie" she introduced the girl she worked with.

"OH hey, you knew around here as well?" Angel asked her curiously, not remembering her face.

"We work together at the Margarita's..." '_And we have been around each other since we were at grade school…'_ Carrie was shocked that they didn't recognise her, and made her paranoid about it.

"Hey Carrie" Marc and Trippe said together, noticing who she was straight away. "Nice to see you again"

"Savannah Lane, these two boneheads are my best friends. Trippe and Marc" she said with a laugh at the look Trippe had given her.

"Nice to meet you Marc, nice to see you again Trippe" she greet the two men.

"Hey so that's _**her**_ name?" Marc said with a laugh, when he saw his friends face.

"So you have been talking about me huh?" Rory said with amusement, a teasing tone in her voice as they began to walk up the stairs.

"Nah. Not _**just**_ talking about you, he has been _**obsessing**_ about you!" Marc and Angel cackled with laughter, which earned a sheepish look on his face, rubbing the back of his neck.

* * *

><p>"Looks like someone else is mowing your lawns Ci-a" James said with amusement, watching the display that was unfolding before them.<p>

"Shudda up Jimmy!" she glared at him, back to her KJ mood.

"Whatta ya gona do about it Cia?" he asked her with amusement

"You mean: _**what are WE**_ guna do about it?" she looked at him with a look that said it all.

"This is going to end in trouble" James said shaking his head, knowing that when his friend wanted something, she would get it.


	8. Partee It Up

A/N: Wow ain't life a busy little thing? Found this chapter just sitting there in my files! Didn't realised how long it has been since I have updated my chapters. Well I guess it's a good thing all I had to do was touch it up here and there and then post! Well I hoped you enjoy this chapter! Cheers Rose!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**A Stranger By The Sea**

**Chapter Eight: Partee It Up**

Trippe couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. He knew she was no ordinary girl, by the way she had both herself and Carrie dressed up like the girls he had known growing up. He knew everything they had on had been of a certain famous person she probably knew but would never admit to. He just didn't know how right he actually was.

He dismissed his thoughts and walked towards her in greeting, sitting next to her on the sand.

"Hey Savannah Lane, how's your night been? Good to finally know your name by the way" Trippe smiled down at her truly happy to finally be able to call her by her name.

"Yup" she grinned at him and they walked side by side as everyone went ahead of them inside the beautiful lively four storey beach house. "My night has been fabulous thank you" she smiled up at him, which made his stomach do flip-flops with excitement. "How has your night been?"

"It's been good thank you. It's good to see you. You look so beautiful in your fine clothes" he looked her up and down again. _There were no real words that could describe how she truly looked in his eyes._ He recovered and gave her one of his famous smirks.

_He just seems so familiar! Just like an old friend she once knew but couldn't put her finger to it._ She thought to herself, knocking at her brains, she knew that his identity would soon be reveal to her, but did she really want to know who he was? Her reporter girl instinct would always be hyperactive no matter where she went. It was always going to be who she was. That was something she could never run from. She sighed as she went back to listening to him.

"Thank you" she smiled at him, glad when he returned her smile that it was the correct respond to what he was just saying. "So how long have you been living in Jersey Shores?"

"Since I was sixteen, as soon as I saw this place, I knew I had to stay" he said with such honesty and sadness, and recovered quickly, "so how about you? What brings you to our fine shores?" he asked her curiously. By the way she was dressed, he knew that she was from money, but would never admit to it.

"Saw an ad on the television" she cackled with laughter at the reason.

"So do you do that a lot? Just pack up and leave whenever you want to?" he looked at her face, and saw no change in its even structure.

"That's right" she said with amusement. "Haven't you ever just picked up and left?"

"Yeah once" was all he said then they were interrupted by a voice calling his name. He groaned and reluctantly said "hello Ciara"

"Hey Rip. I've been waiting for you" she flirted at him, and pretended not to see he already had company with him that he was obviously enjoying.

"How's Kane?" he said in an even tone, not playing her game, making it sound like he was inquiring about her partner.

"His good. He was asking about you before too" she lied to him, which was pretty obvious because they had never been friends, more like rivals at everything they could think of, more so due to Kane. "So you wana have a dance with me later?" she went back to her flirting ways.

"You know I don't dance Ci'a" he lied to her; he was a fair dancer, having been taught by Margarita.

"Oh come on mister modesty" she said with a flirtatious laugh, bringing her head back to accentuate how funny she found it.

"Hey guys" Angel, Marc and Carrie came down to sit with them.

"Hey" Rory and Trippe said in unison, which earned a look from all four of them how sync they were behaving already.

"Hey guys" Ciara faked a happy tone, never really getting along with anyone of them. The basically just tolerated her because of their blond haired friend.

"The names Ciara. Are you new in town as well?" she asked Carrie insultingly, knowing full well who she was because Kane had already informed of who she was.

"You could say that" Carrie said to them with a laugh, and glanced at the real newcomer and winked her eye at her.

"Ciara this is Savvy" Trippe introduced the ladies to each other, which Ciara hid famously because in truth; she couldn't really care less. They all knew the reason she had even made her presence known to them.

"Yeah I've seen you around. Was wanting to introduce myself, but you always seemed so busy" she lied, and smiled her best smile at her. Angel knew her better than anyone else there. She knew the only reason she would even be there right now was because of the blond haired blue eyed man that she loved just like a brother. She silently fumed at this.

"Kane was looking for you earlier" Angel smiled nicely at her, lying as best as she could, knowing fair well that Kane was kissing some bottle blond girl on the makeshift dance floor for the past hour.

* * *

><p>Trippe watched Savvy talking to Carrie and Marc. He loved just sitting by his lonesome self, just enjoying watching her interacting with his best friends. It was such a nice site, to finally meet a woman who made him feel at home without trying to be Rip the surfer or Trippe the guy all the girls wanted to talk to all the time because of his good looks and fine talent.<p>

"Thanks" Trippe whispered in her ear when he could.

"Anything for you, you know that babe" she smiled at her best friend.

"She's a nice girl"

"Who is?" he asked her absentmindedly, still starring at the woman in question.

"You know who" she said with a giggle, amused at the way her friend was behaving. She had never seen him like this before.

In that moment, Savvy came up behind them and stood next to him.

"Wana go for a walk?" Savvy asked him, which he nodded and followed her down the beach.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for inviting me tonight. It is the most fun I have had in a while" she said to him wish such honesty, that he wished he could hug her to him and never let her go again.<p>

"I just really wanted to see you" he admitted to her wish a shy smile. He was admiring how the moon shone so brightly in the sky, that it accentuated her face even more. She was just so breath takingly beautiful it took his breath away.

"You don't have to say that" she eyed him under her lashes, feeling a little embarrass with his outburst. She loved the way his blue eye seemed to sparkle under the moon lit night, his features looking even more handsome than she had seen him tonight.

"I have wanted to talk to you since that day on the beach" he admitted to her once again, she seemed to make him want to reveal all his vulnerabilities and tell her everything about himself. He never felt like this before, well not since… he was shocked beyond words to see the flash of the girl he once loved from his days at Chilton staring right back at him.

"Mary?" he whispered quietly, not realising he had said it loud enough for her to hear him.

"What did you say?" panic went right through her at the old nickname. She hadn't heard that name since the day HE had left.

"Um… Ah…" he stuttered like a buffoon, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the girl next to him had an uncanny likeness to the girl he had once loved.

"I… I… I need to go" she stuttered back at him" almost falling as she struggled to get up, her feet getting stuck somehow.

_Move it! Dim wit! His mind screamed at him so loud._

He just starred at her running down the beach, her shoes in hand. And before he knew it he broke into a run as well.

"Mary!" he called out her name, which made her run even faster towards her apartment he assumed.

_NO! He couldn't lose her again! He thought to himself!_

Making his legs run harder than he had ever ran before.

_No! She whispered softly into the night air._


	9. Chapter Nine: Revelations

**A/N: well this chapter just burst out of me like it had life of its own! :) hope you like it! Cheers! Rose XX**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**

**A Stranger By The Sea**

**Chapter Nine: Revelations**

She felt her adrenaline kick in as she ran faster with each step until she reached her apartment. She grabbed the keys out of her bag and quickly opened her door, before it was pushed forwards, almost making her fall, when arms wrapped around her to catch her fall. Both of them sprawl on the ground.

"What do you want from me?" she asked him, wondering how he had found her.

"You found me remember!" he reminded her softly, both of them still heaving from their run.

"Did they send you to look for me?" she eyed him carefully, thinking that she had covered her tracks pretty well.

"What? No!" he stuttered, and double backed when he realised that she must have run away from her old life just like he had. "Wait what?" he asked her in confusion, she looked at him with distrusting eyes.

"The Gilmores. Did they send you to look for me? Did they put you up to this so you could get close and trick me into coming back? Because I am telling you now! There is NO way I am going back to that life!" she crossed her arms to accentuate how she truly felt.

"What? What?" asked her still confused to what she was accusing him of.

"No one sent me Mary. I have been living here since I was sixteen. I ran away when my father sent me upstairs to pack for military school" he admitted to her numbly, he hadn't had to think about those days in years.

"What?" she asked him, now confused to what he was talking about.

"Don't you know who I am?" he asked her curiously. He didn't think that he had changed THAT much since the sixteen year old boy who had left the Hartford Elite. Yeah he guess he had grown at least two foot taller and now stood to a six-one, his hair was now a shaggy sandy blond colour, his skinned sun-kissed to a nice tan.

She looked at him like he was some kind of freak, having no idea who he was. She looked into his eyes, swimming in his beautiful blue eyes, his bone structure on his face, his perfectly chiselled nose and chine. Eyeing him up and down, looking at the way he stood, leaning against the wall.

"Tristan?" she asked him as recognition filled her eyes and memories of them as sixteen year olds flew to her mind.

He grinned down at her, glad she remembered who he was.

"I… I need to sit down" she eyed him, almost falling over the coffee table, placing her shoes on it and finally finding the couch.

"Ah I'm no ghost" he joked and laughed out of shock more than anything, and she turned her head to look him in the eyes.

"Yeah I should hope not" she eyed him again before laughing herself. "Tristan 'Hotshot' Du Grey" she laughed at the name.

"That would be me" he said proudly, not having heard his real name uttered by anyone since he had first move to Jersey Shores nine years ago.

"Soooo… how HAVE you escaped radar?" she asked questioningly, knowing farewell that the search for him was kept more down-low, than the search for her would be.

"Yeah well it's far from the Elite structure as you can see, and probably the last place anyone would ever look" he said with a careless shrug of his shoulders.

"You ARE RIP TORN!" she was flabbergasted that no one had put two and two together. "You are epically famous all throughout the world!"

She eyed him again, lying down now, foot resting on the arm of the chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah" he said with a laugh. His face had been plastered all of the surfers magazines for the last eight years he has lived there.

"Well how about you. Why the hell is your name Savannah Lane? And something tells me that you have been to countless of places and have paid a lot of money to have several identifications in the last what two or three years right?" he questioned her, and nodding his head as her mouth opened to speak and nothing came out. He remembered the young blue eyed girl who always had something to say.

"WOW! Mary! Lost for words! That's a new one!" he cackled with laughter and copied her and was now laying on his back on his side of the lounge, looking up at the ceiling too, hands behind his head.

"Four years actually" she said with a grin. She loved that he had always known her like the back of his hands, even though she would never have admitted it before now.

"We both know why I ran. Why did you?" he asked her, turning on his side so he could look at her frame.

"It's a stupid reason now that I think of it" she said with a laugh and turned to look at him. He waited patiently for him to finish her story. He realised that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight now.

"Oh how clever of you!" she said suddenly, laughing like a crazy person. "No one ever found out where you were because you flashed yourself right in their eyes and they still didn't seem to see you!" she said with excitement, then her voice faltered when she realised what she had just realised. She looked at him sadly and watched as the flicker of emotions had come and gone like the wind.

"Yup" was all he had said before he eyed her lightly and realised that she was deflecting her situation. "So?" he questioned her, and she looked at him, knowing that he was waiting for her to continue with her story.

"Basically my boyfriend wanted to marry me and I said no, so in turn he broke my heart and broke it off with me on my graduation day!" she said, putting her head down in shame, feeling like a fool to the silly reason she had run away from the life that she had carefully laid out all her life to the free living she now had.

"Really? That is harsh!" he remembered the day that she had rejected him for the last time, and he had been so hurt that he did the most stupid thing he had ever come up with, breaking into Dumb and Dumber's father's safe! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He cursed himself.

She nodded her head, eyeing him carefully.

"I had hurt you a lot didn't I?" she asked him curiously, realising why he had pulled that stupid stunt. He looked away, not wanting to show the hurt in his eyes.

And before they both knew it, she was up leaning against his chair, bringing his face to look at hers, before she slowly leaned in to kiss him with all the passion that she had ever felt for him.

_Is this really happening? He asked himself. Was the girl of his dreams really here kissing him so passionately, like he had never been kissed before?_

He deepened the kiss even more, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her to lie on top of him. She moaned out his name.

They heard the door being yanked open a moment later, raising voices seething through their senses, breaking whatever passion had commenced between them but a moment ago.

"Savvy!" they heard Carrie call out her name with such deep concern, followed by Angel and Marc, running right pass the lounge and towards the stairs to her bedroom. They heard them run back down stairs, and stopped in their tracks as they saw the both of them on the lounge room, now sitting up holding hands, hair messed up beyond repair.

"Oh… oh" the three intruders all said in unison as they realised that she was okay, and had been doing something with their friend.

"Hey guys!" Tristan greeted the three curious eyes.

"Please sit down, relax, slow your breathing down" Rory said with a smile. Glad she no longer would have to hide who she was any more.

"Savvy?" Carried asked her, not quite sure how to react to this situation. They had only witness her running a million miles an hour being chased down the beach by someone.

"I'm okay Carrie, really. Trippe and I were just talking" she smiled at her friends, not bothering to smooth her messy hair down. There was no point anyway. They had seen what she looked like already.

"Wow dude!" Marc scowled Tristan. "Way to freak the hell out of everyone!" he said with an amused tone now, that realization was taking over now.

"All we saw was Savvy's retreating figure being chased by someone" Angel offered in explanation of their interruptions.

"Glad that everything is sort" Tristan said with a smirk, and put an arm around Rory, bring her even closer to him.

"Sorry to make everyone worry" she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her hand, and adding "it was just a case of misunderstandings that's all. No biggie" she smiled at them all, squeezing Tristan hands in reassurance that she wasn't going to go anywhere.

"Okay well we'll leave you to it!" Angel stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Well sleep well Bro! You'll need it to perform tops in the comp tomorrow" and he followed Angel out the door.

"You can stay the night if you want Carrie" she offered her friend, and started to stand up, and she held her hand out. Telling the both of them to continue what they were doing.

"I'll stay at Marc and Angel's place" and she waved goodbye before heading off as well.

The couple laughed out loud until their stomachs hurt.


End file.
